Book review: Delicatessen - Conny Fornbäck

Conny Fornbäck is a Stockholm, Sweden-based freelance photographer, specializing in portraits and promotional shots for music artists. He is known as the photographer behind spectacular album sleeves for electronic artists such as Daybehavior, Baron Bane, Julian & Marina and Toshiyuki Yasuda. His first solo exhibition "Live electronics" took place at TechNoir, Stockholm, in 2008.

"Delicatessen" by Conny Fornbäck is a hardcover book with a collection of over 100 images in a book of 128 pages. It has been described as a "A fashion book withouth clothes - a food book without recipes." Fornbäck photographs his models dressed in various types of foods.

"Waffles" - Model: Ina Thunqvist. Make up: Joanna Makowska-Meyer.

The 60+ European models featured in the book wear and are sometimes creatively drenched in honey, crème brûlée, marmalade, coffee, chocolate sauce and other types of foods. Several seafoods are presented: salmon, crawfish, mackerel, and crab. In total there are over 70 different types of foods presented in the book. My favorite images are the strawberry set featuring model Anna Rolander. There are only a few photos where the models are not nude, and are wearing latex or dress shirts covered with food.

"Beans" - Model: Anna Lans. Make-up: Ann-Kristin Jonsson.

Fornbäck has stated that he created this book due to his "troubled relationship to food and his desire to create stunning pictures." He photographs his models in a clean, high fashion style. The make up and hair work of his models is professionally done and creative. The backdrops are various colors such as blue, white, pink, yellow and black.. The photos are primarily either headshots or shots framed from the waist up. The focus is on the model and the food with no distractions.

"Salmon" - Model: Emelie Hemming. Make-up: Ann-Kristin Jonsson.

This is a book filled with mostly delicious and humorous imagery (asparagus). There is some gross stuff (escargot, cheddar, blue cheese). I can definitely say I've never seen an erotic food book like this. It will make an interesting edition to your photo book collection. ~ Danny Stygion